


The promise

by legolastariel



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Sad with a Happy Ending, Soul Bond, despite major character death there's hope, trust me - Freeform, you may need a tissue but will smile too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-20
Updated: 2017-06-20
Packaged: 2018-11-16 10:59:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11251740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/legolastariel/pseuds/legolastariel
Summary: Rick died in the war against the Saviors.Michonne made a promise. The promise to carry out Rick's last will - and that included Daryl.But she failed. Or didn't she?





	The promise

**Author's Note:**

> Folks, don't ask me why I wrote this. Beats me. LOL It popped up unexpectedly yesterday and was a nice half hour break from the other story I'm currently writing.
> 
> That one I'm really excited about, because it's my first TWD AU!! I'm currently pushing word count 54.000 and guess I'm like half way into the story. It's gonna be long and will still take a little while, but my muse and I are having a ball here. :-)
> 
> So, if she wanted that little oneshot - why not. Hope you like it.

**_The promise_ **

 

Michonne stood motionless at the foot of a fresh grave and stared at the dark soil with a grim expression. She breathed in deep several times and pressed her lips together in the fierce attempt to keep her composure.   
She wasn’t going to cry. She would stay strong, just like she promised. She had to go on and keep things together and she would. 

         “I got your letter, Rick”, she said into the stillness surrounding her.

She was alone. There was no one else around. Or was there?

         “The one you asked Maggie to give to me in case …”

Michonne swallowed thickly against a lump in her throat before she continued.

         “We talked about this. It was war – we both knew this could happen. I just wish it hadn’t happened to you.”  
She sighed.  
         “I’m gonna do my best to keep things in Alexandria together, to take care of Judith and Carl, to go on … without you.”

She stopped and swallowed against the raspy sensation in the back of her throat, before straightening her back determinedly. No, she wasn’t going to cry. She would be strong.

 

At the head of the grave the spirit of the man she was talking to watched her. His presence invisible and inaudible to her, but somehow she _knew_ he was there.

         “I know what you’d say”, the black woman picked up again. “Know what you’d think, but … you’re wrong, Rick.”

She thought she felt a reaction. A wave of anger, disapproval as well as sadness that washed over her all of a sudden and had her gasp.   
Slowly she pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket and sank onto her knees before the grave.

         “I’ve got your letter here”, she said softly. “And I know you think I ignored your request, didn’t do enough to honor your last will, but – I did.”

Michonne unfolded the sheet and started reading out loud:

         _“Michonne –_

_ If you got this letter, I’m dead. We talked about this before the war and we both knew it was likely for us to lose more people, more loved ones. There is always a blood price to be paid to achieve victory and freedom. And if my … our family, our people can live in peace and not under the dominion of the Saviors, I paid it gladly.  _  
_ I know you will do all you can to lead this community. And I know Judith and Carl will be well taken care of.  _  
_ Between us everything has been said and done, but I need to ask one favor of you. It’s very important. The most important thing I’ve ever asked of anyone and you cannot fail, Michonne. – Save Daryl! _

_ He has been through too much, has lost too many people. We all have, but we all had help to get us through it. You know how he is – he never asks for help and he doesn’t accept it, either.  _  
_ You have to force him to accept yours. Only you can. Whatever you do, Michonne, don’t let me down.  _

_You know how much he means to me, how special he is. He was by my side long before the two of us met and I wouldn’t have come half as far if it hadn’t been for him. This new world doesn’t need me. I’m gone and yet it keeps on turning. But it needs Daryl. His courage, his faith and loyalty, his heart – him._  
          
_Please – save Daryl.”_

 

Michonne folded the letter and let her arm drop to her side.

         “I did”, she said determinedly. “Despite what you think – I did.”

With a suppressed sob she ran her fingers gently over a slender object in her hand, before she placed the crossbow bolt on the fresh grave and rested her hand almost tenderly on the still moist soil.

         “You should know best, Rick, that you were his everything. Without you this world was nothing but a dark and lonely and painful place to him. And he was your priority, the one you were probably thinking of the moment you died. Did you ever realize how much you loved him?”

A tear ran down her cheek despite herself.

         “I know he loved you and this life had no meaning anymore with you gone. You were right back then – I can live without you, just like you could have lived without me. But Daryl … I did save him, Rick! I let him go when he wanted to, so he could be with you again.”

Breathing in deep she stood and looked up with determination in her eyes.   
The sun was slowly setting over the town of Alexandria and colored the sky in hues of orange, red and purple.   
She sighed. When it was going to rise again in the morning, it would shine on a world without Rick Grimes, a world without Daryl Dixon and still her heart wasn’t half as heavy as she would have expected.   
Because she had kept her promise.

Invisible and inaudible to the young woman, a second spirit joined the first one and for a moment the two of them hovered over the grave with the crossbow bolt that was right beside the one with the Colt Python.   
Then they moved closer together, embraced one another and melted into one as the two halves of one soul were finally reunited the way it was meant to be. 

         “I saved both of you”, Michonne whispered into the stillness around, before she turned on her heels and walked away.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to my new beta staceykc, who's taking a look at my works from now on. I appreciate the help, dear!


End file.
